Orientul Mijlociu

Israeli conducted strikes near the Syrian coast this morning, with explosions reported in the vicinity of the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base, near the city of Latakia. At this stage, it’s not clear if the Russian airfield was actually hit, deliberately or otherwise — which would be a first. Either way, however, the attacks represent a notable escalation in terms of Israel’s willingness to prosecute targets that are very close to this key Russian military facility in Syria and a major point of pride for Moscow.

Analysis: Whether indiscriminate mass bombing, forced displacement, or targeting civilians, Israel is employing the same tactics in Lebanon as it did in Gaza.

As Israel officially began its invasion of south Lebanon this week, a sense of déjà vu immediately struck people who have been living through or observing Israel’s year-long war on Gaza.

1. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist terrorist organization

Hezbollah (also spelled “Hizballah”) is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a political party based in Lebanon. The group seeks the destruction of Israel and conducts terrorist and criminal activity around the globe. Hezbollah provides its Lebanese supporters with public services, including social welfare, schools, and housing, and indoctrinates them with its Shiite revolutionary ideology.

Israel seems set on liquidating Hezbollah. Beginning with its assassination of the group’s chief of staff, Fuad Shukr, on July 30, the Israelis have been decimating Hezbollah’s senior leadership in rapid succession—culminating in the previously unimaginable assassination of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on September 27.

After carrying out an explosive act of vengeance against Israel, Iran is preparing for the country to strike back in another dangerous round of escalation that has the potential to push the Middle East into an all-out war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran would “pay” after the Islamic Republic fired up to 200 missiles against its longtime foe in response to the assassination of Hamas’s chief in Tehran, the killing of the leader of Hezbollah and a senior Iranian military official in Beirut and other Israel-linked actions across the Middle East.

Many in the Middle East and America hailed the September 27 Israeli assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Television stations in Israel had singing and dancing in their studios and some reporters handed out chocolate on the streets.

In time, they may come to regret these celebrations.

Iran will be hoping that it has reinforced its credibility in the Middle East with its attack on Israel, but it is more likely to prompt a damaging Israeli response.

It will take time for both confirmation and reliable assessments of damage on the ground to come out, but at the moment and based on various government briefings, it appears that between 180 and 200 ballistic missiles were launched from Iran at several targets in Israel on the evening of 1 October. This is nearly double the number of ballistic missiles involved in Iran’s attack in April. At the time of writing, there do not appear to have been any accompanying cruise missiles or drones, including anything launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Proxy groups from Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen ‘commend’ missile attacks and threaten escalation of operations

Armed militant groups in the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” have welcomed Tehran’s launch of more than a hundred missiles against targets in Israel on Tuesday and called for further attacks.

Four Iraqi troops were killed Wednesday and several wounded in an ambush by the extremist Islamic State group, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said.

The attack came days after the U.S. military announced that troops from its coalition against IS in Iraq and Syria will withdraw from Iraqi territory next year but maintain a presence in Syria until 2026.

When Hamas launched an attack against Israel on 7th October, 2024, Israel was caught unaware and unprepared. In the attack, around 1200 people in Israel lost their lives and around 250 people were taken as hostage by Hamas. It was an unprovoked attack. This attack can justifiably be termed as act of terrorism, though Hamas claims that it was justified from their viewpoint.